The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1887-10-13


Low Degree-Parsimomy of Her Ora
cious Majesty Victoria--H Her First Love
Special Correspondence.
FARIS, Sept. l4.-lmagine spacious, oil
fashioned mansion in the north of England
with large hall running from door to door
serving the double purpose of an entrance
and dining room, decorated with the head
ana branching horns of many hapless deer
Win llags, armor, pixies, guns and bows, anC
huge skins of lions eopards and tigers on tn,
moor, and large round table in the center
where many good dinner had been served
to bold thinkers in days gone by. Imagine
all this, and you will have the surroundings
OF charming dinner party that l am about
10 descrlbe-not the menu, the succession OF
courses, the china, the silver, but the main
points of the conversation.
| VI this occasion there were assembled there
county squire, a retired general, naval
officer, clergyman, a Socialist, an artist. a
professor of political economy and two Amer
lean ladies. The conversation, which lasted
until midnight, was wholesale criticism of
royalty, its greed and selfshness, as iIlus-
trated III the recent festivities.
The rejoicings of the queen and her Aunkies
that III all the upheavals on the continent she
mas stuck to her throne for fifty years. is still
theme OF constant merrment with the
press ana the people, The gist of the talk on
this occasion will give you an idea of how
rapidly the respect for the royal family is
waning
Now that the jubilee junketing is over"
SAID our host, "the last corner stone of future
institutions lald for this year, the dazzling
| spectacular professions ended; now that
the music has ceased and the lights are out,
| hysteria Is giving way to common sense, and
1t Is evident that time of practical reflection
Is setting i'll: Loyalty to monarchical ideaq
was at high water level just before the re
cent celebration. IN 1S4S republican tenden
cles III England reached flood tide, but tn.
ebb has been steadily going on ever since
And now the time for the return wave has
come, and the change of feeling will be all
the more rapid, because of the relapse that
always follows abnormal enthusiasm Hard
headed and close listed John Bull is beginning
to ask what all the fuss, which he must pay
for has been about. The overburdened tax
payers realize now that the uproar
has been of no benefit to them. But the
great enthusiasm we have witnessed was not
the result of loyalty, but Of the fact that ia
England we have no regular national fete
day." Addressing the American lady on his
right lie said: 1--WE have nothing recurring
every year like your Decoration day, your
Fourth Of July, Thanksgiving and Washing
tons birthday All we have is bank holt
Gay, occurring on four Mondays chosen at
convenient intervals during the year, to give
the Bank of England clerks a needed rest
from casting up columns of figures. Think
of nation without II single day set apart to
celebrate any great atriotic event, and then
you can judge Of the cause of the enthusiasm
reused by the recent feteS"
YES" said the hostess, laughing, "what
possible sentiment can these bank HOLIDAYS
suggest! Nothing brit work and cold dinners,
| am sure"
81 have lived in England" said one of the
American ladies, five years, and unit. this
summer have never seen any Examinations,
decorations or pyrotechnics, and though am
patriotic citizen of the United States and a
red Republican, and have no respect for
royalty, yet sailed forth to see the sky
rockets, and my spirit of liberty rose with
them to the zenith. had not seen Roman
candle for years, and how could help being
enthusiastic"
"But most of the magnificent spectacles,"
said the gentleman of socialistic tendencies,
FURNISHED at government expense were all
arranged for the benefit of the upper classes.
The rights of the people have been signally
outraged. Long before coronation day the
lovers of Westminster abbey found its doors
closed upon them and heard ominous sounds
OF Hammer and plane coming from the in
terror. 1t is said the building is permanently
mi ured. The Pail Mall in a recent issue
'aid Those W no choose to visit Westminster
abbey now that it is once more open for
worship, after a long period of uselessness,
Eiil find melancholy traces of the stupendous
ind costly farce recently enacted there The
Save old walls have suffered considerable
damage, and the place does not seem like it
;elf-to some Of us it never will again. We
hope tue spoilers and blasphemers are salts
fed with their work
Outside the scaffolding and buildings were
raised to accommodate lords, ladies and tho
queens royal visitors, while the repl senta-
tives of the people took a low rank, and
watched the spectacle from less conspicuous
coignS Of vantage. The people who could
not afford to pay IS or e10 for a window
or a seat OH some SPECTATORS stand stood on
the sidewalks and cutters, elbowing one an
other, jcstled by police on the one side and
soldiers on the other; so densely packed that
some tainted, some were seT i0usly hurt; even
bones were broken. And 10! when the royal
lady appeared, the object of intense curiosity
to this hapless crowd, she was in u closed
carriage, with the proverbial black bonnet
and veil There was grumbling and ques-
tioning as to where the crown and robes
were The bone and sinew of London came
up out of its workshops to see their queen,
not the widow Of the prince consort. The
robes and other state parapherrala were
donn.l st the abbey for the benefit of the
nobility, VINO could appreciate elegance.
The graf unwashed, it was said, could not
tell tba difference between d black bonnet
and a crown"
compare this picture" said the artist,
'with that charming scene in the stage life of
Fanny Kemblt, Englands tragedy queen.
Seeing some poor women peeping in through
.be window OF her dressing room at the thea
ire. she beckored them to enter, showed
hem her gowns and jewels, gave them seat
where they could see the play, and when all
was ended babe them good night with words |
IF tenderness and sympathy"
"But there was one touch Of nature" said |
he hostess. din the Westminster farce that |
would make the workingwomen feel akin to |
heir sovereign, were the fact generally |
known. After the solemn praying and chant |